


Voice of the Ocean

by minhyunbin



Category: JBJ (Band), NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fantasy, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 12:41:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11441076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minhyunbin/pseuds/minhyunbin
Summary: Minhyun has had the same dream -nightmare- for months. They've always revolved around the wavering blues of the oceans, plunging him deep into the depths of the fearful waters. And in his dreams, there was always a voice...a voice beckoning for him to remember. When the lines between dreams and reality blurs, Minhyun was left wondering about the truth to these images that plagued his nights.





	1. Foreword

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warnings: mentions of suffocation and drowning
> 
> This fic has a bit more supernatural themes to it, and definitely heavier themes. Because of the way it's formatted, please read this on a desktop/laptop for a better reading experience. — yours sincerely, Sonagi♡

sounds of ( rolling waves ),  
feeling of wet sand under his feet.   
the **burn** of the blazing sun on skin.

the waters seeped higher and _higher_  
wrapping its touch on his pale skin  
_swarming_ him up to the very brims.

and then the waves came.

 _crashing_ ,          
        ~~roaring~~ ,        
               **rumbling**.

      sweeping him into his arms ...  


	2. Voice of the Ocean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings: mentions of suffocation and drowning

> _Blue_.     
> 
> _His view was a drawn curtain of blue in varying shades, like someone had put a tinted filter onto his eyes. It's as blue as the clear skies in the middle of summer, and it's as blue as the skies' reflection of nature, the vast oceans, could be. He sees the fluffy cloud in a blur, his view whirled and swirled; it's like he looking at something through a layer of blurry glass - through a cup of roving waters. Bubbles, steamed from around him, floating towards the surface as the clouds faded away into the distance, and eyes fluttered to a shut._
> 
>   _He breathed._
> 
> _A **strangled,** gargling sound,  
>                          ( spluttering ) washed away by bubbling,  
>                               a ~~frantic grip~~ of his fingers around his neck._
> 
> _...He ~~can't~~ breathe—!!_
> 
> _Fear seized him by throat, quenching down on his windpipes and he could feel his convulsed with a futile struggle, the struggle that saw the vast of blue darkening with each feet he sank, vision dotting as the light drew away. Limbs, felt heavy, an added weight that dragged him further down into the depths of the ocean, like someone had tied a rope down on his wrists and ankles and tugging him in. The boy cried, a loud yell piercing in his mind as the water overwhelmed him, and just before he was swallowed whole by the darkness, he saw a pair of hands reaching out to him._
> 
> " _now...open your eyes_. "

Minhyun jerked awake with heavy breathing, hands on his necked as he heaved. His room was dark, white walls cascaded with blue light, a reflection of his curtains under the moonlight. His tee was drenched with cold sweat, some forming on his temples as he brushed them away with shaking hands. It's nearly four in the morning, where light was starting to peek from behind the silent grace of the hanging moon, but there was no time to admire the night. The raven could feel an impending headache, a mild throbbing that he tried to withhold with the clenched of his teeth, eyes clamping shut as his head hit the pillows once more. 

It's been weeks since he's had these recurring dreams, fading away into the week and appearing again when he least expected it. Every few days, it began without warning, like broken record forced to replay the scenes over and over again in the worst way possible, erratic and jarring. It starts off with him gazing into the waters or underneath it, where blues hazed his vision and then it came, the overbearing pressure on his chest and in his mind. Air became heavy, lungs squeezing every drop of oxygen available like he was _actually_ drowning. Then he'd hear a voice, one so deep in the waters, slipping into his ears as smooth as velvet, and he'd wake gasping for air. It's a nightmare that plague him night after night, pooling dark circles under his eyes, weariness clouding his judgment. 

And he's tired. 

Hands rubbing his face as he shifted on his sides, he groans lightly at the headache that came. It wouldn't be till the sun made it's presence known that he could finally fall back to sleep, but his alarm would ring then, and he had to prepare for school. 

He just want the nightmares to end.

* * *

>   _Splash._
> 
> _The sound of body falling into waters dimmed and fade away as he sank, body plunging deeper into the depths of navy blue. He held his breathe as he watched the wavy surface of the waters drew further and further away, holding his breath as he kept his eyes opened. There was a sense of peace, of serenity, an air of lightness as he let everything go. His body sank with the pull of gravity through waters, slow and steady, pale limbs floating upwards._
> 
>   _He fell._
> 
> _Deeper,_  
>                          ( slower )  
>                               into the ~~abyss~~.
> 
> _For the first time in months, he felt at peace. Cheeks puffed with air held, Minhyun found his younger self closing his eyes in a drowsy fit, arms wrapping around the petite frame. He curled up, legs drawn in like a fetus in a mother's womb, feeling at home for the first time in years, in the comforts of the oceans he had made into an enemy for the years he was born. There were singing voices, the sounds of creatures lurking in the depths, but they don't frighten him as they did lull him into a sense of comfort, like a warm blanket in the middle of winter._
> 
> _At some point he stopped. Hands, strong, steeled arms, held onto his small curled up frame. Minhyun could feel them on his back and under his knees, a snug pull towards them in the midst of his sleepy haze. The action was firm, giving him a sense of security that felt all too familiar and yet so distant away._
> 
> _Like an old photograph,  
>                          faded and ( yellowed ),  
>                               locked up in **a chest** under his bed._
> 
> _" now...do you remember? "_

Eyes snapped open to a dimly illuminated room. Sunlight was streaming in from the windows, warm and welcoming. For the first time in months, his dream had not evoked feelings of fear, of unsettlement and discomfort. Eyes shut away from the orange glow as he turned to bury his face into the softness of his pillows. There's something so vivid about the dream that it felt like he was there, floating underwater, drifting with waves, the flutter of the fishes' fins and in the arms of someone familiar.

Minhyun slowly opened his eyes again, blinking slowly. There's something he couldn't put to words, a name that he couldn't bring to mind. 

 _But he knew him_. The voice of reason sounded illogical in his head, so much so that he chaffed the idea to the back of his mind in a heartbeat. Hwang Minhyun was a loner, the sort that faded into the background despite his towering height, the kind of classmate everyone seemed to forget as time goes by. He would love to be invisible if he could, to not head to school and his part time job and just fade into the waters like last night's dream, but that was impossible. The alarm rang, signaling the time to get dressed, and he raised a pale arm to turn the clock off, sitting up. Subconsciously, he gathered his arms and wrapped around himself, legs pulling up to his chest as he sighed, and for a moment, retained that position till the minute hand moved.

( This position calmed him. It always does. Like the way it felt in the person's arms. )

Work was boring when he arrived, the convenient store at the corner of his apartment empty as ever. He lived in a new building, courtesy of his ever busy working parents. For the longest time, Minhyun had lived and learned to suffice on his own. As a child he would have tugged onto his mother's skirt wherever she went, but that seemed all too faded away as well, a memory that seemed more like a dream than reality. Ever since he went to school, his mother went back into the working force; his father had always been away from home, working. Working. Anniversaries was a word he knew by theory but never the actuality, and he no longer celebrated birthdays ever since he was nine, alone in the room with a post-it stuck to his fridge, saying 'happy birthday son, cake in the fridge.

( The nine-year-old never did tell her that his birthday had long passed, and that his birthday was 9th of August and not the 19th. But he ate the cake anyway, and wrote 'thank you' on the post it. Since then, his conversations in the house had always been brief lines written on sticky notes, appearing once in a blue moon.

He supposed it was better than his father's yearly deposit into his bank. )

Minhyun thought that the day he started working, he could probably understand how his parents felt. Understand how it's like to have responsibilities that took them away from home, to be - _feel_ \- more important. To perhaps, stop being lonely. But if anything he learned from working part-time at the convenient store, it was that loneliness had no cure. Being busy was a fine distraction, but that's about it. Sometimes he wondered why he bothered working anyway, because he didn't need the measly allowance. But he supposed it gave him something to do, even if it wasn't a sense of purpose he hoped he would get.

Instead he wondered about that vast blue waters, about taking a long, deep dip into it...

_"Minhyun-gun, thanks for your hard work today!"_

He slipped away from the counters with a polite smile and full bow. His manager was kind, a kind person that hung smiles on his face as easily as the flick of a switch. The high-schooler admired that part sometimes, because his smile spelled genuine. And he himself, haven't felt like that in what seemed like ages. Never mind that. Slipping his backpack on one shoulder, he muttered a soft apology when he almost bumped into someone on his way out, and got onto his bicycle parked right outside. There was homework to complete, perhaps a TV show that could catch his interest for the next few hours before he fall asleep. 

It got him about a hundred meters before he stopped, just barely around the corner. Turning around, he cycled back to the store, pushing his bicycle against the walls as he peered through the glass. The door rang with a melodic alarm as he stepped in, his manager's welcome greeting cutting short when he registered Minhyun's face.

_"Oh, Minhyun-gun, you forgot something?"_

The raven paused, fox-like eyes roamed the empty perimeters as the glass door slide to a close behind him. He blinked, rapidly as it registered in his mind that his manager was looking at him with knitted brows and shook his head.

"Did you-"

He bit back on the words 'did you see who came in just now?', finding himself ludicrous for thinking a stranger could be the man in his dreams. He didn't even get to see the customer's face, just a mere glimpse of his tall figure, perhaps even taller than him. Still, it was odd. It was odd enough for him to return to the store, because Minhyun is meticulous and forgetting things was never part of his dictionary. Instead he pulled on a mildly forced smile, turning away to the microwavables with the shake of his head.

"No, I just, thought I'd have some rice rolls for dinner."

( But he couldn't forget the emotion, the thought, the imagery, and he carried it into bed later that night. )

* * *

>   _Voice._
> 
> _There were hundreds, thousands of voices underwater. Sounds, of distant crashing waves ebbed away to bubbling of sea creatures and the slow harmonies of whispering corals and fluttering weed. He could hear them in their schools, groups, duo and trios, eyeing him, the stranger of their lands. He spoke none of their language, none of the fishes and giant mammals in their echoes deep underwater. But he could feel, he could guess, the wariness that hung in the air, the curiosity of multiple eyes and the occasional swish of their tails that sent little currents pressing against his skin._
> 
> _Feet found anchored to soft sand, and he walked with the paths littered with colorful colors, washed out by the blues of the oceans. Turtles, larger than him, swam a close distance away, keeping an eye on him as he half-drifted, half-walked. The path, unkempt and a messy array in the beginning turned into a definite stone walkway, and the grains of sand under his feet turn into the coolness of what seemed like marble and smooth stone._
> 
> _He's been there before, and there was no mistaking it now._
> 
> _The turtle stopped, circling around in slow, languid strokes of their fins, and he couldn't help but turn around, as if entranced by the dance of his guardian under the sea._
> 
> _Long, thin eyes with pupils as dark as his hair,  
>                          skin so pale the waters cast a shadow of blue tint,  
>                               thick lips pulled back into a comforting smile._
> 
> _He swam towards the beckoning arms, eyes locked onto the beautiful features of the man he felt he should have never forget, especially his voice that could pull him out of his trance as easily as it lulled him to sleep._
> 
> _"There you are, Minhyun."_

It's not a dream.

Burying his face into his hands, he took a deep breath, and then shifted to rest his back against the headboard of his bed. _It's not a dream_ \- that would have been a joke for days if it was a younger version of him, when he would scoff at the talks of supernatural and higher beings. Minhyun had always been someone who was grounded in reality, in the harshness of the echoing empty houses and the widening hole of detachment in his heart. The high schooler believed in none of the unexplained, only in science; signs of affections of his classmates were attributed to pheromones, his own distance from relationships were attributed to an emotional lack of dependency in his growing up years. Flying objects were caused by wind, by inertia; and the absurd idea of ghosts haunting people in their sleep was a mere case of night terrors and sleep paralysis.

And yet the recurring dreams and sequential revelation spoke to him on a personal level, a deeper part of his mind where he locked away memories of the past. 

It's ~~not~~ a dream.

He should have known from the surrealism of the recurring nightmares, the same old ocean, the odd sensations, the heart aching emotions. Shuddering arms wrapped around his knees, blankets pooled around his ankles, Minhyun noticed not the passing of time in his room, the moving reflection of daybreak through glass like the waver of water upon clear surface, and he, a boy trapped in the box of an imaginary pool of water body with no escape.

For the longest time, Minhyun thought he had a fear of water. The appeal of beaches never spoke out to him, with the glaring sun and saline waters wrapping around his sensitive skin a horror compared to his excited peers. Not that he was invited to such bonding events either way, and neither would he agree even if they were extended out to him. Oceans, seas, lakes - natural large bodies of water mysteriously struck a thin layer of fear in his mind. A fear of getting lost in the unknown depths, a fear of _drowning_ , being pulled underwater by concealed currents. The mere thought had him heaving for air, like a bounder seated painfully on his chest, enough to bring him to a still as he stopped, hands on the handles of his bicycle in a light hold down the bustling evening streets of a shopping district.

The raven had no recollection of visiting the beach, none of the sunshine and sand and splash of the waves. Yet his gut feeling told him otherwise, whispering against his rationale thoughts of a hidden memory, locked in the chest with other unwanted thoughts within his heart, his mind, his soul.

And it's driving him up the wall, the thousand voices inside his head.

_"That...are you okay?"_

Snapping out of his reverie to the old lady's concerned voice, Minhyun barely mumbled a response when a tall figure caught his eye, disappearing around the corner. His breathe hitched in his throat, eyes widening in alarm as he ran. Behind him, there was the sound of an object crashing onto the ground, the gasps of surprised passers-by tamed in comparison to someone's yelling something about 'your bicycle'. He threw them in the distance, uncaring as he picked up pace, pushing past the people in the crowd and fingers grazing the rough walls in a grip as he swerved around the same corner.

_It's him._

The alleyway was quiet, dark. Tall buildings cast a shadow as dim orange lights of the apartments above became the only light source in the area. The hustle of the crowd was left behind him as he slowed to a stop, few feet shy away from the figure. Minhyun stared transfixed, legs rooted to the ground as the person of his dreams turned around slowly. At close proximity, the high-schooler realized the man was taller than him by one, two inches, his head tilted upwards to lock onto the long eyes he was searching in his mind for the last weeks. Skin as pale as his, cheekbones high in a graceful disposition, full lips pursed in observation. His hair, as black as crow, framed his sharp handsome features, fringe coming down naturally just past his brows. There was elegance in his posture down the the movement of his fingers, curling up as they brushed against the side of his face. 

Minhyun didn't move, couldn't move. The air felt heavy around them, as if he's suspended in a block of water right then, something pressing down on him and yet his feet were firmly upon solid concrete grounds. Firm eyes stared right into his rapidly blinking ones, commanding attention, reaffirming his authority, and for a moment he wondered if he could be burned by water, as the reflective blue orbs seemed to hold the life of the oceans within them. There was something extremely terrifying and yet oddly comforting, a juxtaposition so conflicting that the only thing he could do was to gaze back.

The face pulled closer, and Minhyun parted his lips in effort to call his name, but silence remained as he found himself stuck and at a loss. As the face loomed dangerously close, the boy closed his eyes upon instructed, as his mind roamed the vastness in search of an answer.

* * *

>   _"Hyunbin."_
> 
> _He opened his eyes to a brightly illuminated room with the whisper of the name lingering on his lips. The four walls and ceiling were made of glass, and every shade of blue permeating through tinted the marble grounds with a calming effect. It's like a giant aquarium, but for a moment, Minhyun wondered if he's the one being observed, or the observer. Tiny feet curled and uncurled his toes, before he started walking along the path into another room. It was eerily quiet, unlike how he remembered it, but peaceful all the same._
> 
> _Familiarity was an understatement to how his mind easily mapped out every area he walked into, every direction he turned his head towards. He knew the palace by heart, every colored coral as decorated on the wall, ever white stone pillar he raised a hand to touch. It's like he lived there for days, for years, centuries, even. His eyes were peeled, looking out for the giant figure whose name had finally came to mind, the owner of the seas and his dream._
> 
> _( And the gaping hole of his heart. )_
> 
> _He stopped right in front of a massive door, laced with golden corals sprawling along the arch. Stone figures were carved into either sides, merman with tridents on their side, the guardians of chamber. The petite figure was unfazed, and raised his hand in a knock, echoing several times before the door several times larger than him opened. In the room was a round table, a glass jar seated on it right in the center. He looked up momentarily to observe the dome-shaped ceiling, the dolphins dancing alongside each other, casting their silhouettes on the floor._
> 
> _Inside the jar was a red glow, beckoning him closer. The boy pressed near enough, fingers flattening against the glass as he peered, before he titled his head sideways to rest his ear against the jar._
> 
>   _And heard._
> 
> _The leisure beats of his **heart** ,   
>                          the gentle ( laughter ) of his own,  
>                               and the ~~muted~~ murmur of an old promise._
> 
> _A pair of arms warped around his shoulders, raised hand covering his eyes. Minhyun allowed himself to lean back, to be pulled away from the forbidden content of his heart._
> 
> _"And this...should be enough."_

Minhyun sat up on his bed, the sudden rise bringing black dots in his visions. With a whimper of a groan, he slowly looked at his surroundings, then at his hands. He's back, back to present time, back to being the high school student with a mundane life. A quick check of his mobile for the time and date, he slipped out of bed immediately. His head was swamped with answers, with what to do and where to go. The rationale side of his mind fought over the voices, but Minhyun knew this time, he had to follow his heart. He had to go where his heart was.

He remembered everything. The seven-year-old him that was struggling to walk on heated sand, his straw hat too big for his head kept on slipping to cover his face as he pushed it back with annoyance. It was a class trip to the beach, a part educational trip that turned into exasperated teachers hollering for children to not stray away from shallow waters. He was one of the children without a personal guardian for the day, his parents too busy - _always,_ busy - paddling his tiny legs in shallow waters. One minute, he was there with majority of the crowd, still struggling with his straw hat, and in the other, distracted by the glisten of water surface in deeper sea, he slipped and plunged deep into the waters before he could let out a shout. 

A splash and mild ( bubbling )   
~~slipping~~ away from them  
to the very **bottom.**

And into his arms.

Looking outside the windows of the train, Minhyun turned and leaned his forehead against the glass. The scenery passed by quickly in a blur, and all he could take in was the layered colors of green and blue and white, in the heat of Summer weather. What he was doing was insane, but he couldn't help himself. There was yearning in his soul, the need to become complete. Brows knitted in response when the azure blue and white was sweep by streaks of grey, and Minhyun straightened up to watch as the skies darken in a long stretch in the skies.

* * *

>   _"I can not keep you here for long."_
> 
> _Young Minhyun looked towards the source of the voice, an embroidered cushion in the shape of a fish in his arms. The last thing he remembered was a strong tug of his ankles and torso, and the next...he was here, staring into the wide space of blues. Round, feline eyes had roamed about the area, letting himself get lost at the marvel of singing dolphins and swimming turtles outside the walls. People had streamed in and out, decked in lavish layers of robes in simple colors. He had stared, sitting at the edge of the bed as they scurried around, until one of them appeared with a tray of warm buns, offering with a charming smile that a hungry child could not refuse._
> 
> _It felt like he was submerged in a warm bath, the feelings of warmth creeping onto his cheeks made way for laughter leaving his lips in an engaged chatter._
> 
> _The voice had stilled the air, and the child could only watch as the people curtsied and made their exit, but not forgetting to send a wave of farewell greetings. The chamber door clicked shut, and Minhyun pulled the cushion close to him, eyes landing on the male with a lavish robe. The colors were a deep navy, but the embroidery was of gold seams, reflecting with every step he walked. He carried an air of importance, of authority of the place, of royalty to be reckoned. And yet as intimidating as his sharp features were on first glance, he found himself loosing up the initial tension, knuckles flushing white from gripping the cushion too tightly easing._
> 
> _He watched as the male quirked his lips up, eyes softening, and for some reason, Minhyun found himself smiling, lips pulled into a gentle, upwards curl._
> 
> _"Your name is...Hwang Minhyun?"_
> 
> _The deep voice reminded him of soothing melody from a distant memory, and he nodded slowly, as if entranced by a silent piper._
> 
> _The towering figure had laughed, and the child followed the movements of the giant, who stopped just a foot away to kneel down on one knee. Their eyes met again, and Minhyun blinked in fascination, a feeling he couldn't yet describe in children's vocabulary evoked. Joy, perhaps, was the closest emotion he could identify, the only explanation to the smile fixed on his round face. It's like his mood was infected by the elder's laugh, moving on a similar wavelength._
> 
> _"Who are you, ahjussi?"_
> 
> _The child's voice was several pitches higher, echoing in the space and bouncing off the walls in all angles. His question was met with an amused grin, but the male did not rose from his position._
> 
> _"I'm the owner of the place."_
> 
> _"The owner...? Ahjussi, you must be very rich."_
> 
> _The man laughed once more, eyes widening. Minhyun tilted his head, wondering if he had said something funny. His parents always said they were busy making money, so they can live in a big, big house. He thought the one he lived in was huge, large enough for him to roll across the floor several times and back, the emptiness echoing whenever he shouted just to fill the gaps in the air, to replace the cold quietness with a voice, even if it's his own. For him to own this place, this person must be rich, or so the child thought. Feline eyes looked at the long, eyes and pretty lashes, the handsome long hair tied in a high ponytail._
> 
> _"Ahjussi, why do you have long hair?"_
> 
> _"Hmm. Is it weird?"_
> 
> _"No, ahjussi is pretty."_
> 
> _"Pretty?"_
> 
> _"Yes."_
> 
> _He looked away, down at the plushie in his arms, tips of his ears turning pink. He hadn't tried giving other people compliments before, but he himself liked it. Like the time he did his homework well and his teacher praised him in class, or the time he managed to make his own dinner ( somewhat ) and his neighbor and guardian sent thumbs up his way. And yet just like receiving them, Minhyun felt a small pang of embarrassment creeping onto his cheeks._
> 
> _"Minhyun-gun will grow up pretty as well."_
> 
> _"How do you know that, ahjussi?"_
> 
> _"Because I know. You are my bride-to-be, after all."_
> 
> _"But I'm a boy. Can a boy be a bride?"_
> 
> _"Well, you are. My bride. But not yet. Your time...is not up. I asked to see you_   
>  _because you happened to pass by,  but you don't belong here.  Not now.  We_   
>  _will meet again, it is written in our fates, little one. The year you turn nineteen,_   
>  _on this very shore, i will be waiting, my future bride."_
> 
> _The male stood up silently, taking a step back, and then extended a hand out to him. Momentarily distracted by the hand, confused with the talks of the future, the young boy pursed his lips lightly into a small pout. He didn't want to leave, not when the people earlier on made promises of riding a dolphin and teaching him how to swim; not when their smiles are so friendly and lively that it reflected in stars dancing in their eyes. Not when this unnamed man, with his tall height twice his size, could make him feel so calm and at ease. This place, in its hints of blue and white glow, radiated with more warmth than he had ever known._
> 
> _"Do we have to go now? Can I stay for a little while more? Please?"_
> 
> _"Don't you want to go home?"_
> 
> _Home was a roof over his head and a large bed, the creak of the doors near midnight as his mother shuffled in to tuck him into the bed. But even then those days were getting rarer and rarer; he would struggle to stay awake after his housekeeper tucked him to bed in hopes of a glimpse of his mother, but he would wake up in disappointment that he fell into slumber before then. He lost count of how long ago he had seen his father, of the overwhelming perfume hanging in the air the one time he stumbled into kitchen past midnight for a glass of water. His father had been stern, gruff voice telling him to sleep with a string of murmurs he couldn't understand at that age._
> 
> _( And then there were fights, yelling and banging doors and shuffling feet as he shuddered under the blankets, knees to his chest as he huddled them. )_
> 
> _Minhyun shook his head. He liked his housekeeper ahjumma, the noona living next door that popped by with food and deserts and taught him homework. He liked his teachers, maybe one or two of his classmates he shared tables with in school. But he didn't like his home._
> 
> _Home was just a roof over his head._
> 
> _“A while, then. A joss stick's worth of time, nothing more."_
> 
> _The young child knew nothing about the ancient measurements of time, but he nodded anyway, agreeing at any notion of a chance to linger, the things beyond the shore and oceans long forgotten in his mind. A smile blossomed on his face, and young Minhyun thought at that moment, the other's smile was radiating, like the sparkle of the sun twinkling on surface of the waters, warm and inviting._
> 
> _Time passes without a clear sign in the palace. He wouldn't have known, when the room was constantly bright, as if it's only been short minutes of building sand castles out on the lobby floor. But the owner was back, and Minhyun waved sadly to the people backing away as he picked up the outstretched hand once more. He wanted to stay, but something told him not to push it further. Something told him, that he'd be back again, some day. And for now, it was time to leave._
> 
> _"Ahjussi, before we go, I have one last question. What's your name?"_
> 
> _"I don't have a name. Not in the way you imagined it?"_
> 
> _"...? Ahjussi, I don't understand."_
> 
> _"Then, just call me 'Hyunbin'."_
> 
> _"Hyunbin ahjussi."_
> 
> _"When you return, you can just drop the latter term."_
> 
> _"Will I be able to return?"_
> 
> _"Of course. When the time is right."_
> 
> _"Really? It's not a lie?"_
> 
> _Hyunbin lowered himself to the same height as the child, a comforting smile gracing his lips. Slender finger raised, pointing to where his heart is; instantly, Minhyun could hear ever thump of his heartbeat ringing in his ears, the soft drumming in repetitive rhythm._
> 
> _"If you're worried about forgetting, then maybe, you can leave a part of your_  
>  _heart here.  So that wherever you are,  your heart,  is always at the place it  
>               would be."_

It was drizzling when he arrived at the beach. He closed his eyes to take a deep breath, taking in the coastline scent of saltwater and rain on wet grass at the bus-stop. And then he moved, letting memory be his guide. He was chasing after tiny footprints on the same sand he left them ten years ago, his own steps disappearing with the brush of the waves erasing their existence. The beach was empty, people walking in the opposite direction of the boy as he ventured further and further away from the crowd of the town. 

And there he stood, the tall male with pale skin. This time he was in no suit, in no clothes he would recognized on the streets. The same old navy blue robes with gold embroidery came into view, as with the sweep of his long hair in his firm and yet poised turn. Their eyes met, and Minhyun stopped. His feet were wet, the bubbling waves seeping right above his ankles and then pulled away, and the male was further away from him into the shallow waters. The human opened his mouth in an attempt to call the other by the name he was told, but they spoke up first.

_"You don't despise me?"_

Minhyun bit on the insides of his cheek. There was something that tugged on his heart in the way Hyunbin looked at him. No, 'Hyunbin' was a pseudo name, a human personification of the god of the seas, a name just mentioned for the sake of a younger him. He took a deep breath, the darkened skies rumbling above them. He lived his days breathing and moving like a robotic machine, churning out answers aimed to please and nothing more. He ate, he slept, he did everything again, day by day, watching the minute hand turn on his watch. In the last nineteen years, he had lived.

But he was never **alive**.

Hyunbin might have take away part of his heart, but it never made much difference. For a majority of his childhood chasing tails of affection and recognition of his own parents, to the disillusionment of their messy divorce in his growing up years, Minhyun came to realised that for the most part, there was nothing he held an interest for in this life. His inability to form a dependence on others was not a result of the detachment of his heart; it was a consequences of being pushed to the side by people he tried to build bonds with, only to watch as his bridges crumbled one by one. 

His world was cold before the age of seven, and remained largely so for the rest of his life up till then. Every time they cast him looks of sympathy, of polite smiles behind whispered gossips, he found himself struggling to stay afloat, as if water was gushing up to his throat and threatening to swallow him whole.

Home on ground was just a roof over his head, but he's a lone wanderer in the streets of Seoul; now perhaps, no more.

_"Then...are you ready, my bride?"_

Rain, pelted harshly against his skin, drenching his clothes and his wet hair stuck to his cheeks, wind howling around him. His visions blurred in the haze of the downpour, but he could still clearly see the man, his ever confident yet entrancing smile, and the warm hand reaching out for him.

Minhyun took it, the same way he took it decades ago, and stepped into the waters.

  _And so the story goes,_

the **lord of the oceans** and **his bride**  
slipped  beneath the brewing storms  
into the ( tranquility ) of _their_ kingdom.

_Where they lived for centuries to come._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if this wasn't clear, hyunbin is actually a 'yongwang' - dragon king - the lord of the seas on korean mythology. the name 'hyunbin' is  a modern, human personification for young minhyun and not his true name. if you have any questions, pop by my twitter @mhb_sng or hit me up at my cc with the same id, and let me know what you think! ♡ sng


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